Scottie Eyes History on Arnie’s Turf

 👋 Hey Golf Fans,

Welcome to Arnold Palmer Invitational week. It’s time to buckle up for those close calls or maybe even the first playoff at Bay Hill in over two decades. Meanwhile, the DP World Tour has named Europe's next Ryder Cup captain. But before clashing with the Americans, he’s already stuck mending a growing rift between his two star players. Let’s discuss all this and a short game tip straight from Rory McIlroy.

Onward…

Arnold Palmer Invitational was a “signature” event long before the PGA Tour thought it prudent to have that official nomenclature. King’s name was enough to drive attention. We’ve also been fortunate enough to see him grace the greens occasionally. Check out this clip of 74-year-old Arnold Palmer hitting a driver off the deck at Bay Hill. API has set a precedent, and that’s why you’ve got elite players descending on Orlando every year.

Field: Absolutely loaded.

• 19 of the top 20 in OWGR are present.

• There are nine past FedExCup champions.

• 60 of 72 players have at least one PGA Tour win.

Storylines: Scottie Scheffler is eyeing his third title here. That’ll place him behind Tiger (8 wins at Bay Hill). Mind you, Scottie has never finished outside the top-15 at API. Hideki Matsuyama and Russell Henley are chasing history as well. The former can become the first Japanese pro to win the API, whereas Henley, the defending champ, is eying a repeat—a first in a decade (Matt Every, 2015).

Meanwhile, in 11 starts, 2018 champ Rory McIlroy has six top 10s. On the other hand, Chris Gotterup, the only pro with multiple wins on Tour this season, is riding the momentum. So is Shane Lowry. He has two PGA Tour top 10s already. Keep an eye out for Justin Thomas, who will make his season debut after the microdiscectomy last year.

Course: Firm and fast fairways. Long, overseeded ryegrass rough. Water hazards on nine holes. Plus, penal bunkers that have undergone some modifications. Bay Hill also has some of the toughest par-3s and par-4s on Tour.

Trivia: There’s been no playoff since 1999. In the 26 events played since, 14 came down to a single stroke.

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“If it ain't broke, don't fix it,” quipped Collin Morikawa after the DP World Tour confirmed Luke Donald’s return as European team captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup. He’ll become the fourth player to captain Europe for three-plus straight Ryder Cups. With a victory at Adare Manor, Donald will be the first-ever (on either side) to three-peat.

Previous captains have come close. Ben Hogan led the U.S. team to three victories. Walter Hagen to four, including one on British soil in 1937. Check out this century-old footage of Hagen, his players, and fans celebrating the triumph.

But neither of these two won three consecutive times. Donald is on the cusp of history, and he is the right man for the job. In fact, Scottie Scheffler chimed in that if he were European, he'd want Donald back, too. Ditto the European fans—listen to their chants at Bethpage.

But Luke Donald’s real headache is brewing inside the team.

Jon Rahm is locked in a bitter feud with the DP World Tour (DPWT) over the LIV fines. The Spaniard blasted DPWT for "extorting players" right after eight pros caved to the latest terms. Donald vows to swing by Rahm soon and iron out the mess.

Meanwhile, McIlroy is stewing over the whole drama. He previously urged Rahm to cough up the fines. The Spaniard pointed out the logical fallacy in that argument. Rory refused to let the matter go, sending a pretty clear message to Rahm yesterday.

This tension within the team signals a cold war between arguably the two biggest Ryder Cup stars. Unless there is peace before Adare Manor, it’s going to be tough for the Europeans to replicate Rome’s success.

Hey folks! Welcome to the Essentially Golf Prediction Challenge!

Show off your golf instinct by making Arnold Palmer Invitational picks. It’s not limited to predicting the names of winners. No, you’ve got a chance to bring the golf analyst inside you and predict scores, possible records, and more.

Stack up points. Work your way up the rankings. And earn a chance to walk away with a $25 gift card. We’ve explained the scoring system below.

Make your pick for every question below and rake in points.

• The first question carries 20 points.

• 2nd & 3rd questions carry 10 points each.

• 4th & 5th questions carry 5 points each.

• Tiebreaker question at the end carries an extra 5 points.

Weekly Prize: Top scorer each week grabs a sweet $25 gift card—yep, a reward for being right.
Season Prizes: After the regular season, the Top 5 overall get end-of-season rewards. Bigger stage, bigger flex!

Rory’s short game is criminally underrated. In 2025, the Ulsterman was 15th in scrambling on the PGA Tour. This season? He is even chipping from the putting green—watch this for proof. The key is finding the low point, and Rory showed in a recent video how he does that. Here is an easy breakdown.

• Treat your chip like a longer version of putting. Meaning? Use a smooth, pendulum-like motion similar to an elongated putting stroke.

• Avoid excessive wrist hinge to maintain control and consistency. Keep your right (trail) hand extended and don’t let it fold. Look closely at Rory’s wrist and his trail arm here.

Chipping Secrets Every Golfer Needs to Know

Phil Mickelson in Mourning as Legendary Sports Icon Passes Away →

“Miracle”: DP World Tour Pro Out of Hospital After Tragic Accident →

Scottie Scheffler Shares His Honest Take on PGA Tour’s New CEO →

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🎥 Watch — Trailer of Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait.

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